The importance of regular hand cleaning in reducing the spread of infectious disease is well known. To encourage frequent hand cleaning, it is becoming increasingly common in health care facilities to incorporate prominent hand cleaning stations at entrances and exits, as well as at other locations throughout. The hand cleaning stations are typically provided with devices for dispensing hand cleaners such as soap or hand sanitizer, which may be manually operated or touchlessly operated.
It is also becoming increasingly common for individuals to carry a supply of hand cleaner in a mobile personal or point of care dispenser, to facilitate hand cleaning when away from a hand cleaning station. This is particularly prevalent in the health care industry, where frequent hand cleaning is essential. Mobile personal or point of care dispensers are often small squeezable containers, which may be deposited in a pocket or clipped to an item of clothing for easy access, or may be placed for use at a point of care.
Despite the increasing awareness of the importance of frequent hand cleaning, the spread of infections in settings such as hospitals and long term care facilities remains problematic. To further combat the spread of infections, some institutions have begun implementing measures for tracking the hand cleaning activity of health care workers. For example, compliance systems may include monitoring hand cleaning and the use of hand cleaners. The present inventors have appreciated that previously known dispensing systems do not provide arrangements for conveniently monitoring the use of cleaners in personal dispensers or for the filling of personal dispensers.
The inventors of this application have appreciated that previously known devices do not integrate the functions of stationary dispensers and mobile dispensers.